Episcopal Church Women

The Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of South Dakota is an organization of lay women committed to one another and called to be a witness of Christ. We meet twice a year. In the spring we gather for fellowship, Christian formation and to plan for the Annual Fall meeting which is held in connection with the Diocesan Convention. The recipients of outreach funds is on an a three-year rotating schedule between the Diocese/State, the Episcopal Church, and the worldwide Anglican Communion. We also award scholarships to Episcopal women of all ages who are furthering their education instate.

United Thank Offering (UTO) Grants

ECW Honored WomanMargaret Vranesh

Margaret Deickovich was delivered into this world by her father, in a small town of Keewatin, MN., one very cold morning on November 9, 1923. She was the youngest of 7 children. She grew up in the Catholic church during her childhood. In her sophomore year of high school, she played basketball, loved swimming in the school's indoor pool, and attended games to watch her brothers play. That's when she first noticed George Vranesh, who was a popular senior who played football also. By 1941she graduated from High School, and had a job cleaning a family's house, then worked for several years at Western Union in Minneapolis operating a teletype machine that sent telegrams to soldiers' families during World War II. She didn't see George again until 1946 when he had returned from serving in the Navy as a Pharmacist First Class.

In June 25,1949, Margaret and George were married at St. Mark's Cathedral in Minneapolis, they lived in barracks with twodaughters in St. Paul while he attended SDSU working on his Pharmacy degree. During that time, they attended St. Mark's, even though she was busy working and caring for her young girls.

By July 1956, George had graduated and got a job as a pharmacist in Chamberlain. It was there, at Christ Episcopal Church, that Margaret was asked by several ladies, if she could host their first ECW meeting at her home! That was the beginning of a lifelong commitment to serving the needs of the women of whatever parish she lived. When they moved to Yankton in 1961, she had one more child, Peter, and served as secretary on the ECW board at Christ Episcopal church. She was even asked to be a substitute for Sunday school teachers for several years. She was a Den Mother for her son's Cub Scouts troop for2 years and served as secretary for the troop. They moved to Rapid City in 1965 and visited Emmanuel Episcopal Church. They joined and her children sang in the choir and she served as President one year of the ECW, and she was hired to clean the kitchen and polish the silver. She took pride in keeping the kitchen clean and tidy.

After their son, Peter, graduated from High school, they were invited to visit St. Andrew's. Judge Parker invited them to coffee. They were so impressed with the friendliness of the people there that they transferred their membership in 1980's. Again, Margaret quickly found lifelong friends, (like Bernice Jones) who recognized her talents and put her to work handling the sales and distribution of grocery store food coupons and helped collect store receipts from the parishioners. She was in charge formany years after Bernice had passed away. She baked cakesand salads for the monthly Cornerstone Mission meals that St. Andrew's provided. You could count on Margaret to help with Vacation Bible School meals as well as many funeral luncheons, serve on the Prayer chain, help with Rummage sales, Bazaars, and other functions involving the children. You could always find her in the kitchen making sure everything was put back in the right place! In 2003, she served ECW at the State level as treasurer, and was a delegate at the Triennial in Minneapolis. Even after George's passing in 2006, she faithfully attended meetings every year.

Margaret is a phenomenal woman indeed, because she has lived out her life serving others in so many ways, always behind the scenesand never asked for any special recognition in return. Her generosity and devotion were and always will be genuine. She spreads theGospel through her support of relief efforts at the local, diocesan, national and international level. Margaret has always takenseriously Christ's sacred charge to ..."let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to yourFather in Heaven."